Heavy rain last night (23 August) means Andrew Jackson won’t be combining today at Pink Pig Farm, Holme, Lincolnshire.

“We’ve got all the oilseed rape done, and two thirds of the spring barley, and we’re just poised to do the first of the wheat,” he said.

Excalibur rapeseed had yielded 3.5t/ha in a couple of fields, with the rest at 4t/ha. “We’re quite happy with that – it didn’t go flat, whereas the Expower laid quite badly.”

Tipple spring barley had done well on sandy soil, producing 6.4t/ha compared to 4t/ha last year, when it was affected by the drought.

“We didn’t calibrate the yield meter on the combine on the heavier land, but I think it’s done 6.8-7.4t/ha.

“It’s got some little black tips at either end, but there is some good bold grain, so we’ll have to get it tested to see if it makes the malting grade.”

Torch winter wheat, grown for seed, would be the first wheat to cut on the farm, said Mr Jackson.

“It looked marvellous from the time it was sown right through to the grain fill period.

“I was hoping for a really top yield, but some Fusarium was spotted coming in following a very wet June and July and I am adjusting my yield expectations for Torch, as for all wheats,” he added.

“Around here, a lot of the wheat has really small hard grains in a third of the ear, while the other two thirds of the ear isn’t ripe.

“At the end of May we were all wondering where we were going to put all the wheat – but now we’ll probably be back to last year’s yields, perhaps a bit more.”

After the Torch would be Santiago, which as a later maturing second wheat, would not be ready for some time.

Crop: Oilseed rape
Variety: Excalibur
Yield: 3.5-4t/ha

Crop: Spring barley
Variety: Tipple
Yield: 6.4-7.4t/ha